Rocking that Rocky Road…

Life. It’s tricky little bugger sometimes. In all honesty, it’s a lot like that unbearably annoying kid in your grade 3 class who lived to test the teacher’s patience. Throwing things, giving attitude and never really doing what you want it to. Charming…

The road that life makes us walk is paved with all sorts of interesting obstacles. These are sent to make us smile, sweat, swear and sometimes, shit ourselves. (Metaphorically of course. Unless you’re unfortunate enough to have experienced that last physically… In which case, you win!)

You see, life’s road is a lot like Rocky Road. You know, that chocolaty stuff full of nuts, marshmallows and other delicious morsels. But how is it remarkably like life? Well, let me break it down for you…

For starters you can’t always identify what the hell is going on in there. Like Rocky Road, in life, there’s a lot of variables which in turn, leaves a lot of room for stuff to go pear-shaped. It’s a little confusing and at times, incredibly overwhelming. But that’s okay. Sometimes we’re not meant to know exactly what’s going on, 100% of the time.

Things aren’t always that easily set. Whether it’s Rocky Road or the things we really desire, things tend to change at whim. The Rolling Stones once said, “you can’t always get what you want,” but if you continue to focus on what you don’t have, you will never fully appreciate the things that you do. Right now you’re probably all like, “Yoh. That’s deep.” And you would be correct, it is. Whether it’s the job you never got (my genetics leaned more towards the vertically impaired… Farewell dreams of Victoria Secret stardom) or that relationship that abruptly ended (enter Roxette’s “It must have been love”), it’s important to remember that sometimes our greatest blessings are not the ones we get, but rather the ones that get kept away. (Nailed it!)

Things can’t always hold their shape when things get heated, so don’t expect them to. In my experience, this has at times been all too true. Sometimes, you are going to encounter people who are going to be too unreliable for you to depend on. It’s important to remember that this is okay. It doesn’t make them bad people… in fact it only makes them human. Take it on the chin and learn to invest your time in those who wouldn’t buckle no matter how hectic things get…

You will encounter several nuts along the way. Hell, you may even be one yourself. But let’s just admit something here… deep down; we’re all bladdy nuts. Life’s not meant to keep you calm, it’s meant to bring out all sorts of characteristics you never knew you had. Maybe it’s meant to teach you how strong or how resilient you are? Or maybe it’s meant to help you learn how to murder giant cockroaches that surprise you in the shower? (That last one’s not a metaphor. It really happened and the roach was bigger than the backlash that followed Drake’s “Hotline Bling.”) How did I conquer such a beast? I killed it with my shampoo bottle – shout out to L’Oreal… but not before it fell from above like a kamikaze pilot in a final bid to overthrow me. To all of his other roach friends, let this be a lesson to you all.

At times it may be tough but you need to hold it all together. For actual Rocky Road it’s the chocolate that’s key, but in real life it could be many things. Whether it’s family, friends or a positive attitude, the rocky road you travel depends on you and how well you keep your shit together. This may seem like a lot of pressure, but it’s actually empowering. You alone have the power to determine how you approach your journey and how much of your shit you can keep intact.

No “Rocky Road” is ever the same. Everyone makes theirs in a different way and when it comes to our lives, we’re all just doing the best we can. It’s important not only to remember this but to respect it as well. Don’t compare your rocky road to anyone else’s. Plus, yours is probably much more interesting anyway. There, I said it.

No matter how rocky the road, it’s still sweet. Never forget how blessed you are to walk the road you do. This is not only because we seem to forget that we don’t own all the problems in the world, but because some are busy fighting battles that we are lucky enough to know nothing about. This doesn’t mean that we should pity them though. It means that we should share their road and load by walking with them.

Never underestimate the power you could have on someone’s journey. From the thumbs up you give your mate at the jol when they’re chatting to an absolute belter, or kind words for someone going through a tough time, encouragement costs us nothing. So don’t be cheapskates with it, okay?

This one’s for Mac. If anyone can beat this it’s you. I’m not going to say that everyone’s behind you because they’re not. They’re actually right beside you, every step of the way. Go you bladdy biscuit! It’s not too late to make a difference on the last few days of Movember. To change a young Leukemia patient’s life, click here. Mac Attack Challenge

Yours in Baking, Bitching and positive gees (because “xoxo” was too mainstream and because you ain’t got nothing on #Macattack),

Melt chocolate in a microwavable bowl for 1-2 minutes, stirring at regular intervals to prevent burning.

Pour over the mixed delicious morsels and mix well with a spatula.

Press into a 20cm square baking dish that has been greased and lined with baking paper. Hint: it helps to leave an overhang of about 3cm on the sides so that you can pull these suckers out of the dish!

Leave in the fridge to set (about 2 hours) and cut into squares with a hot knife.

Health Hack: If you’re concerned about your health, don’t eat it. Ha. There’s a new one for you…